


safe for me to fall

by fraudulentzodiacs



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Fluff, M/M, oh my god they're quarantining together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:48:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,442
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23507134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fraudulentzodiacs/pseuds/fraudulentzodiacs
Summary: Auston doesn’t think twice when he invites Freddie to join him in Scottsdale.
Relationships: Frederik Andersen/Auston Matthews
Comments: 6
Kudos: 69





	safe for me to fall

**Author's Note:**

> For my favorite hockey ladies. A little bit of Auston/Freddie fluff because the group chat melts down at least once a day over the fact that oh my god they’re quarantining together.

Auston doesn’t think twice when he invites Freddie to join him in Scottsdale. 

Auston had made plans to go home as soon as they had been given the go-ahead. He loved Toronto, but if he was going to be stuck inside for weeks, he’d rather be surrounded by the familiarity of home. They’d thought that the pause would only be a few weeks at most. It wasn’t long enough for it to make sense for Freddie to cross an ocean to see his own family. 

“You shouldn’t stay here alone.” Auston had told Freddie from his couch, scrolling through his phone for flight options. “Why don’t you come home with me?”

“I don’t want to intrude on your family.”

“My mom likes you more than me.” Auston pointed out. He reached out and nudged Freddie’s foot with his own. “Come with me.”

“Okay.” Freddie had replied after a long moment, and Auston booked their flights. 

A couple of weeks had stretched on and on, and it was looking more and more likely that their season was finished. Auston was frustrated but, as usual, Freddie was a calming presence. They spent most of their time together in Toronto, but now they spent every moment together and it was…distracting for Auston. What had been a harmless crush was quickly snowballing into full-fledged unrequited love. Everything about Freddie was attractive, was everything Auston looked for in a partner. Now, though, when they weren’t under the soul-crushing pressure of carrying a franchise on their shoulders, when Freddie could just breathe - he was beautiful, and Auston was entranced. 

“I’m glad you brought Freddie home with you.” His mother told him a few nights after their arrival. Auston looked up from the dishes he was washing and watched through that window as Freddie and his dad sat next to the fire pit in the backyard, beers in their hands as they chatted like old friends. 

“Me too.” Auston admitted, handing the clean dish to his mom to dry.

“You smile more when he’s around.” Auston feels his cheeks heat up and he looks away from where Freddie is throwing his head back in a laugh. He shrugs, and he hears his mom chuckle beside him. 

“You know, if you and Freddie are…you know we wouldn’t care, right? We love you, we love Freddie.”

“Mom, it’s-it’s not like that.”

“But you would like for it to be, I think.” She points out. “You don’t have to tell me anything, but I just want you to know that all of us would be happy for you both.”

“He doesn’t…he doesn’t see me like that, Mom.”

“He had many places he could have gone to ride this out, Auston. Denmark, California. He chose to come with you instead. I think that says a lot. But, like I said, it’s not my business. Just something to think about.” Auston lets her pull him down so she can kiss him on the cheek before giving him the last clean dish to put away. Auston looks through the window again, and he finds Freddie watching him. His gaze is soft and fond, and Auston feels something twist in his stomach.

His parents go upstairs to bed soon after that, and Auston grabs two more beers to join Freddie on the patio. Music is playing softly on Freddie’s phone when he joins him and hands the beer to Freddie. Their fingers brush briefly as Freddie wraps his hand around the bottle and Auston feels a shiver go up his arm. 

“What are you listening to?”

“Songs for this month’s playlist.” 

Auston stretches out on a chair as The Weeknd plays. “You know, you’re outing yourself as a Weeknd stan with these playlists.”

“You listen to them?”

“Of course.” Auston replies with a shrug. “You’ve got good taste.”

Freddie doesn’t reply, but Auston can see his cheeks pinken out of the corner of his eye. They sit there for a long while, sipping their beers as Freddie finalizes his choices. A song begins playing that Auston doesn’t recognize, and he nudges Freddie’s knee until he turns his gaze from the night sky to Auston. 

“What’s that?”

“Halsey.” Freddie replies, and rolls his eyes when Auston laughs. “It’s a good song.”

“I like it.” Auston concedes. “It’s a slow dance song, romantic.”

“Dance with me.” Freddie asks, pushing up from his chair. Auston raises an eyebrow but makes no move to get up. 

“Why?” Auston finally chokes out when Freddie is standing over him. 

“Like you said, it’s a slow dance song. And I want to dance.” Freddie offers his hand at that, a more formal offer than Auston’s ever received. Usually, when he dances, they’re in a club and a random girl will simply pull him onto the dancefloor with a grin. He hesitates for a moment before setting his beer down and letting Freddie pull him up.

They’re closer than Auston thought they’d be, but Freddie wraps an arm around his waist to keep him close. He holds Auston’s hand with the other, leading them in a slow sway. Auston’s never really danced like this, but it feels comfortable with Freddie. It feels…nice, is the best way Auston can describe it. The song goes on and Auston grows more comfortable as they move in a slow circle. Freddie’s arm moves from his waist up to between Auston’s shoulders, pulling Auston in even closer. When Auston looks up, Freddie’s face is so close that Auston can feel warm puffs of air on his cheek when Freddie breathes. The moment suddenly feels charged, feels important. Auston thinks back to what his mom said, how Freddie could have gone anywhere, really, to wait the pause out. But he hadn’t gone anywhere, he’d come with Auston. He’d come to his home and his family, and he’d fit in with them like he’d always been there. He’d learned Auston’s favorite meals from his mom and helped his dad with projects around the house and chirped Auston with his sister. He fit, like a puzzle piece they hadn’t known they were missing. Like he belonged. 

Like he belonged with Auston. 

Auston stops their swaying, his arms grasping Freddie’s shoulders. 

“Is something wrong?” Freddie asks, and Auston shakes his head. 

“No. At least, I hope not.” Freddie’s gaze is confused, and Auston takes a deep breath before he leans up and brushes his lips across Freddie’s. It’s quick and chaste, and Auston pulls away almost immediately. If he’s read this wrong, he doesn’t want to make it any worse than he already has. He opens his eyes once he feels brave enough, and feels his heart stutter at the softness in Freddie’s eyes. At least if he’s going to reject him, Auston thinks, Freddie will let him down gently. 

“Is that okay?” Auston finally asks, and the smile that spreads on Freddie’s face melts Auston’s insides. “I’ve…I’ve been wanting to do that for a while.” Auston shudders when Freddie cups Auston’s face in his big hands, his smile turning to something smaller, more private. He leans in and Auston meets him halfway, their lips meeting again. They kiss hesitantly for a few moments before Freddie turns Auston’s face the way he wants it and suddenly everything is deeper, hotter, _better_. Auston groans and pulls Freddie impossibly closer, licking into Freddie’s mouth. It’s unlike any kiss Auston’s ever experienced before. First kisses should be awkward, in Auston’s experience, but this is so _good_ it makes Auston’s toes curl. Auston never wants it to end, but he also doesn’t want to end up coming in his pants on his parent’s back patio when he could let Freddie take him apart in the privacy of his bedroom. 

Freddie bites Auston’s bottom lip when he finally manages to pull away, both of them breathing heavy but making no move to disentangle themselves. Auston dips his head and drops quick, biting kisses along Freddie’s jaw, and shudders when Freddie runs his hand through Auston’s hair. 

“Come up to my room?” He asks against the shell of Freddie’s ear, half in love with the gasp that Freddie lets out when he slips his hands under Freddie’s shirt and runs his fingers along his toned back. 

“My room is farther from your parents.” Freddie points out, and Auston pulls away enough to look Freddie in the eye. 

“Plan on getting loud?” Austont teases, but the smile drops from his face when he sees the heat in Freddie’s eyes. 

“You have no idea.” Freddie replies, and Auston doesn’t hesitate in wrapping his hand around Freddie’s and tugging him in the direction of the guest room. 


End file.
